Wedding on a river raft hits a snag

Updated 10:41 pm, Thursday, April 18, 2013

Ruben Alonzo Fierro and Stephanie Guerra speak to the media after getting married by Webb County Justice of the Peace Hector Liendo last week on the Rio Grande.

Ruben Alonzo Fierro and Stephanie Guerra speak to the media after getting married by Webb County Justice of the Peace Hector Liendo last week on the Rio Grande.

Photo: Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times

Wedding on a river raft hits a snag

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MCALLEN — Nothing puts a damper on a honeymoon like an estranged wife.

When Stephanie Guerra, a U.S. citizen, and Ruben Alfonso Fierro, a Mexican citizen, married aboard a raft on the Rio Grande last week, the couple was determined not to let strict immigration laws or the heavily guarded border keep them apart.

Since then, Mexican media have reported that despite tying the knot with Guerra, 26, in front of family and journalists, Fierro, 27, was still married to Lizeth Anabely of Monterrey, Mexico.

Lizeth, 23, told Mexican television that although she has not heard from Fierro in years and has no desire to reunite with him, it came as a shock to watch her husband marry another woman on the news.

Lizeth and Fierro were together for a short time and have a child, but have led separate lives since he immigrated illegally to the United States. She told reporters she has made attempts to divorce her husband, but without a clue to his whereabouts her efforts have been futile.

Fierro was barred from re-entering the U.S. after having left for a time, but he told reporters that he hoped his nuptials with Guerra, with whom he has four children, all U.S. citizens, would speed up the immigration process and bring their family back together.

Big River Foundation, an environmental group in Laredo, sponsored the event amid cheering crowds on the banks of the Rio Grande between Laredo and Mexico. The group said the idea behind the event was to draw attention to the river, an underutilized resource.

Eric Ellman, executive director of Big River Foundation, said the international bridge frequently is host to wedding ceremonies in the midst of car horns and ogling passers-by. By taking advantage of a largely overlooked 1848 treaty that allows for free movement on both sides of the river, Ellman hit on upon a unique business idea.

“Let's bring a wedding down to the river in a tranquil setting,” Ellman said.

Despite the setback on its first go-around, the organization is planning for future ceremonies.